Life of a Fourth Year Cadet
by Anonymaustrap
Summary: This short is an introductory story for Juliette Sri, Starfleet Psionics Specialist and Third Scion of House Sri, the 433rd House of Betazed. She comes up with a creative solution for a class project


The sickbay of the USS Antares was in a power saving mode when Juliette Sri first arrived. As it came to life, she paused to let her eyes adjust to the growing light and admire a sickbay designed almost twenty years before she was born. The spartan, flat biobeds with the large, blocky monitors looked quaint - almost baroque to one who had grown up with sleek holographic interfaces.

"Computer, activate the Emergency Medical Hologram."

The air shimmered just a few meters away. The EMH was clearly designed to appear competent without intimidation - mature and scholarly with a dash of mousy harmlessness thrown in. Sri regarded the EMH - a construct that tens of thousands of engineering hours had been spent to makes its very appearance soothing - with weary resignation.

"Please state the nature -"

"There is no medical emergency," Sri said briskly, "I just need help with my lab work."

The EMH gave her a once over, incredulous. "Lab work? Captain? What are you doing in sick bay?"

Sri sighed irritably. "Computer, please upload current scenario and parameter metadata to the EMH."

The EMH just briefly paused, as the sudden inrush of data made it aware that the EMH was not on the USS Antares, but was in itself part of the holodeck simulation of the USS Antares. Furthermore, the Betazoid in front of it was not the captain, but a cadet in Starfleet Academy. The EMH's personality matrix forced the appropriate amount of surprise to his tone.

"Fourth Year Cadet Sri," He asked, peppering his surprise with a carefully calculated amount of sternness. "Shouldn't you be preparing for the Hirogen attack, rather than superfluously activating the EMH?"

Sri gently protested, "I just need help isolating the neurotransmitter matrix using an un-matrixed peptide. I don't need to finish the Hirogen scenario for another 48 hours."

"Couldn't this be considered cheating, Cadet Sri?"

Sri had been surprised with the EMH's initial response, but she was well-prepared for _this_ argument. "I'm allowed by the nature of the assignment to work with medical professionals for assistance. As an EMH, I think I can safely say you are more than qualified."

The EMH seemed to consider this for a very long moment, then simply shrugged. "Very well, state the nature of the medical non-emergency." It paused and looked at Sri with a new suspicion and asked, "The required assistance _is_ of a medical nature?" It would not be the first EMH to suffer indignities at the hands of cadets.

Fourth Year Cadet Sri smiled in relief, clasped her fingers together and gratefully bowed to the EMH "Thank you, Thank you!" she said emphatically. "Yes, it is of a medical nature. I'll set up the experiment, just tell me what I'm doing wrong with the isolation."

Sri set up her PADD to display her notes as she carefully acquired the specialized equipment from storage, and commenced to painstakingly assemble the components first to assemble the un-matrixed peptide, and then isolate a neurotransmitter matrix. Satisfied with her collection of equipment, she carefully assessed each step with triple and quadruple tests. Unsatisfied with her results, she disassembled the experiment and started over. On her third such disassembly, the EMH was drumming his fingers on the medical examination table.

"Cadet, if you do not want to be referred to as 'Fifth Year Cadet Sri' I'd suggest you pick up your pace."

Sri peeked up from her work on the apparatus long enough to give the EMH a mean stare. "I'm getting there."

"Eventually. Though you are supposed to be coordinating with your lab team."

Sri stopped and shot the EMH a suspicious look. "You looked at my assignment records."

"Of course," the EMH replied without a trace of guilt. "You're the one who made me aware that I'm a photonic re-creation _inside_ a holodeck program. However, I am not programmed for an existential shock as a reaction to this knowledge. However, Cadet Sri, you're dodging my question. Teamwork _is_ part of the assignment, is it not?"

Sri sighed, concentrating on her tricorder and digesting the readings. "I know, I know. But Jenna and Seteff are fighting." She stopped there, apparently satisfied, but the EMH didn't lower its expectant gaze. She frowned and continued to explain. "They were together..." Sri continued, with the emphasis on _together_ for the EMH to understand the double meaning. "But now they're fighting. They're all wound up, and while they can manage it being barely civil to each other, I'm left trying to handle the feelings coming from both of them. They spend more time attempting to irritate each other than working on the assignment, and I'm having - " she paused, her voice slightly bitter at the admission. "I'm having trouble blocking them out." She paused, taking a small breath, hoping for a brief moment the EMH would let the topic drop.

The EMH, however, reached its conclusion with startling speed. "That, and considering you are wearing gloves in August begs the obvious question. How long have you had Evan's Syndrome?"

Sri blushed slightly, her mild irritation with the EMH turning into a simmering annoyance in defiance of the tens of thousands of hours spent trying to develop an EMH personality that was soothing and articulate. Of course an EMH, with a full library of maladies from across the galaxy, would remind her of her encounter with the rare Betazoid condition that made powerful thoughts and intense emotions she received cripplingly overwhelming. "It started when I when I was six."

"Most Betazoids don't become telepathic until just before puberty. You were an early bloomer, so to speak. Such early starts are usually indicative of strong telepathic ability and the potential for difficulties."

"In my case, it was both."

"Evan's syndrome isn't uncommon - kind of a childhood phase _most_ on quickly grow out of. Your condition is chronic?" the EMH asked while pointing to a juncture in the apparatus. Sri re-reviewed the coupling and made adjustments until the EMH nodded in satisfaction of her work.

Sri frowned. "You know, I could get this setup done much faster-"

"If you took off your gloves so you could work easier with the finer components?" The EMH asked.

Sri responded with a brief laugh. "I suppose they are silly. There's nothing here that can generate a mental impulse." She rubbed her hands together briskly, then slid off her gloves. She flexed her fingers, the sensation of being without gloves foreign to her. "However," she said, pleased to inform the EMH that it was wrong, "What I was going to say, is 'I could get this setup done much faster If I didn't have to go through my medical history while doing so.'"

If she had hoped the quip would end the particular line of questioning for the EMH, she had underestimated its ability to handle snippy patients and blithely ignored her jibe. There was little she could do about the EMH's attitude, though. She still needed its cooperation. Rather than go another round with the EMH, she decided to answer. "It lasted several years. I had to be taught to block out the thoughts and emotions of everyone around me."

"A Psilosynine inhibitor might be in order."

Sri frowned at being so crudely diagnosed. "Can we please stick to the lab? Besides, psilosynine inhibitors work for short-term solutions but over time have shown to produce a reduction in paracortex activity, which can lead to paracortex atrophy or in rare cases paracortex hyperactivity as the paracortex overproduces neurotransmitters."

"A Cortical Implant-"

Sri shuddered. Borg technology. "With all due respect, _Doctor,_ I am not that bad off as to consider such a radical technique." She hunched back down to her work, muttering, "At least not now."

"I prefer the term 'revolutionary', and I was merely hypothesizing."

"The condition only comes on when I'm exhausted or under a lot of stress," She explained. "I'm considered Type 2 Evan's. Certainly manageable with Vulcan meditation techniques, a reasonable diet to watch out for Psilosynine stimulants, and exercises to reduce paracortex sensitivity." She stopped, stepping back from the lab table. "There. A completed transmitter matrix."

"Not exactly in record time." The EMH commented dryly. He stepped forward to look it over. "So, manageable?"

"Yes, it can produce a stable un-matrixed peptide. It's when I try to isolate the matrix that..."

"I was talking about your condition." the EMH responded as it continued to inspect her handiwork.

"Perfectly," Sri replied a little archly. "What about the isolation?"

"You tell me about the isolation." The EMH replied smoothly. "You're the one who's by herself talking to a holographic system _in_ a holographic system because sentient contact is overwhelming. If you were any more isolated, you'd be in cryosleep."

The chill in her initial response became a cold, hostile stammer. "That's not what I - was talking about the neuro - the - look, I'm. Just. Tired. I've had little sleep. If I finish this now, I'll sleep four hours before my next class. " She snatched the isolator from the table, for a moment holding it like a knife "Now let me get this calibrated."

She checked the connections and calibrations a couple time before the EMH, which had gratefully maintained silent during her work, asked, "Cadet Sri, what happens to neurotransmitters when the isolator is set to nanojoules instead of picojoules?"

She stopped, looking at the isolator, her flash of anger draining away. "A matrix fragmentation. It's what I've been fighting with for hours." She adjusted the isolator, and in seconds the isolator was collecting energy readings from the neurotransmitter matrix. She watched the numbers flicker by long enough to know the data was accurate, and then let the stream blur in her vision. The EMH merely looked back at her placidly. She quietly said, "Thank you."

The EMH waved off her gratitude. "You're welcome, though, you'd have gotten it on your own. You do have an affinity for understanding paracortex function."

"Still, thank you. " She paused uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but I can't keep this program running."

The EMH shrugged again. "And? Of course, you can't. Worries about the future and posterity are not in my personality matrix. Do take care of yourself, Cadet Sri."

Sri paused, her reflexive response of "You too" had no meaning in the situation. She nodded solemnly, and very carefully put her gloves back on. She relaxed her mind and let her defenses slide just a little. She glanced at the EMH but to her mind there was nothing but the empty room.

"Computer, please send the data from the lab table I'm in front of to my storage." She'd update the lab team later. She was exhausted, which was going to make even a brisk walk over an empty quad ...challenging. She amended her command. "And, end program."


End file.
